Clamp for rubbish can cover



NOV. 22, 1966 AVERY CLAMP FOR RUBBISH CAN COVER Filed April 13, 1964 Harold L. Avery IN VENTOR.

BY W

United States Patent 3,287,045 CLAMP FOR RUBBISH CAN COVER Harold L. Avery, P.O. Box Drawer Q, Groton, Conn. Filed Apr. 1 3, 1964, Ser. No. 359,014 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-114) The present invention relates to cover-equipped rubbish and trash cans such as are commonly used and has to do with holddown and retaining means for the readily applicable and removable cover or lid.

A general object of the invention is to provide sim ple, practical and easy-to-use mechanical means whereby the lid or cover may be effectively and securely maintained in a closed position whereby to guard against accidental and undesirable displacement for removal of the cover by dogs and other animals and to likewise guard against accidental displacement by high winds. The invention achieves the cover-retaining result desired but does not interfere with ready and unhampered removal by the owner or other authorized user of the can.

It is a matter of common knowledge that many and varied types and forms of lid and cover locks and fasteners have been used on and in connection with garbage and trash cans. While such prior art adaptations are numerous many of the same have not met with widespread adoption and use for one reason or another.

In carrying out the present invention the depending skirt-like flange at one side of the cover is provided with a hole which functions to permit an end portion of a simple bolt to project therethrough. This appropriation and use of the stated components provides a simple but feasible retainer which allows the cover to be hinged in place and readily swung up to an open position without completely removing the cover.

The invention also features spring-retained clip means wherein a lower end of the spring is anchored on a wall portion of the can, the upper end of said spring being connected to a clip, that is, a simple metal or an equivalent plate or cleat the upper end of which is provided with a turned-in hook which is releasably engageable with a keeper slot provided therefor in an adjacent portion of the can cover and an outwardly directed hook which serves to accommodate the finger of the user and permits the user to lift, lower and otherwise handle the keeper hook so that the can cover is securely and reliably held in its intended can-closing position.

As will be evident from the foregoing novelty is predicated on a trash or rubbish can of a portable householdtype which is provided adjacent its top on one end with an outstanding nut-retained cover hinging bolt and which is provided at a diametrically opposite point wih a holddown clip having oppositely directed hooks and wherein said clip is provided with a spring, said spring being anchored at its lower end on the upper wall portion of the can.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of a conventional-type household outdoors can such as is conveniently and popularly used for accumulating and disposing of trash and garbage (referred to as rubbish, trash and refuse cans) showing the modified lid or cover and the diametrically opposite hinging and holddown means constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view on a larger scale which shows the spring-loaded or spring-biased holddown clip; and

ice

FIGURE 3 is a view based on FIGURE 1 with the parts appearing in section and elevation and which serves to clearly show the hinging bolt at the right and a springloaded holddown clip at the left.

The garbage can is denoted by the numeral 6 and the applicable and removable lid or cover is denoted at 8. The can, except for the attachments added, is conventional and includes one or more side handles or handgrips as denoted at 10 in FIG. 1.

The cover comprises the usual lid portion 12 having a central fixed handgrip 14 and having a depending skirtlike rim 16 embraces the upper mouth portion of the can proper. Referring now to the right of FIG. 3 it will be noted that the rim. is provided with a simple bolthole 18 to accommodate the threaded shank of a bolt 20 the headed end of which is fastened to the upper mouth portion of the can and which is held in place by an assembling and retaining nut 22. In practice the threaded shank of the bolt is adapted to extend through and beyond the hole 18 whereby to provide not only a separable fastener but a simple hinge. In other words, thistype of fastener allows one to hinge or swing the lid or cover up to an open position once the holddown clip means on the diametrically opposite side (at the left in FIG. 3) is released.

With reference now to the holddown clip at the left in FIG. 3 it will be noted that in order to accommodate the invention one has to form a keeper slot or opening 24 in the lid adjacent the depending rim and in fact inwardly of the mouth of the can proper. The novel clip is denoted by the numeral 26 (see FIG. 2) and comprises a metal plate or cleat 28 which may be of elongated or rectangular strip-like form. There is another eye 38 at the bottom of the coil or spring which is adapted to accommodate a headed screw fastener or bolt 40 and which in turn passes through a hole provided therefor in the can 6 to accommodate an assembling and retaining nut 42. The upper end portion of the cleat or plate is split centrally and in a lengthwise direction and the portions of the metal thus present are bent to form two hooks. One turned in hook provides a keeper hook 44 and this is releasably engageable with the aforementioned keeper slot 24 in the manner shown in FIG. 3. The outturned hook 46 provides a finger-accommodating clip lifting and releasing hook. If desired, the main planar surfaces of the cleat or plate may be roughened or milled or otherwise made as generally indicated at 48. This feature will assist in guarding against slippage of ones fingers when handling the clip means in rainy or snowy weather or when, for example, the fingers may be greasy or otherwise not conducive to lifting and lowering the two hooks 44 and 46. The clip 26 can be aptly made from appropriate sheet stock of desired rigidity for example a strip of suitable metal one inch wide and three inches long. The stock is split one inch down the middle and one furcation or tongue is bent in one direction to provide the keeper hook 44 and the other one in an opposite direction to provide the finger-accommodating and lifting hook 46. The lower end of the holddown spring 36 is simply bolted to an opening provided therefor in the wall of the can in the manner shown. Manifestly a hole or slot has to be punched in the lid in order to provide the keeper slot 24 for the keeper hook 44. The rim 16 is necessarily drilled in order to provide a hole as at 18 to accommodate the aforementioned retaining and hinging bolt 20 and actually constructing and using a can constructed in accordance with the one herein disclosed has proved that actually the experimental can was roughhandled and tipped over and rolled and loaded with sand and gravel highly efficient and unquestionably satisfactory.

It is believed that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter of the invention, the features and advantages and the best mode or manner of using the same. Accordingly, a more'extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A receptacle comprising an open top can defined by a peripheral wall, and a removable lid receivable over the open top of the can, said lid having a depending marginal flange which encompasses the upper portion of the can defining wall, said lid having a keeper hole defined therein, said keeper hole being spaced inwardly from the adjoining portion of the lid flange a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the can wall for the reception of a portion of the upper end of the wall therebetween, a keeper hook releasably engageable over the lid flange and through the keeper hole into the open upper References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,910,484 5/1933 Thompson 292256 2,100,636 11/ 1937 Domershausen 22055.7, 2,571,482 10/ 195 1 Pettit 220 2,945,718 7/ 1960 Smith 220,55 3,104,903 9/1963 Futch et al. 292-87 FOREIGN PATENTS 221,048 11/1957 Australia.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

THERON E. CONDON, Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RECEPTACLE COMPRISING AN OPEN TOP CAN DEFINED BY A PERIPHERAL WALL, AND A REMOVABLE LID RECEIVABLE OVER THE OPEN TOP OF THE CAN, SAID LID HAVING A DEPENDING MARGINAL FLANGE WHICH ENCOMPASSES THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE CAN DEFINING WALL, SAID LID HAVING A KEEPER HOLE DEFINED THEREIN, SAID KEEPER HOLE BEING SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE ADJOINING PORTION OF THE LID FLANGE A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE CAN WALL FOR THE RECEPTION OF A PORTION OF THE UPPER END OF THE WALL THEREBETWEEN, A KEEPER HOOK RELEASABLY ENGAGEABLE OVER THE LID FLANGE AND THROUGH THE KEEPER HOLD INTO THE OPEN UPPER END OF THE CAN, AND RESILIENT BIASING MEANS ENGAGED BETWEEN THE HOOK AND THE WALL PORTION OF THE CAN THEREBELOW SO AS TO EFFECT A DIRECT DOWNWARD BIASING OF THE LID IN THE HOOK. 